How we know: Sources are listed at the end. Card terms are quoted from the issuers' own pages and dated third-party reviews as of late September 2026; they change often, so confirm on the issuer's site before applying. Wildly has no affiliate relationship with either issuer.
These are the two most-recommended mid-fee travel cards in the US, and they are built for different people. The Sapphire Preferred is the better all-round travel card; the Amex Gold is the better card for someone whose spending is dominated by restaurants and US supermarkets and who will use its monthly credits.
The numbers, side by side
| | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Amex Gold | |---|---|---| | Annual fee | $95 (Chase) | $325 (TPG review, May 2026) | | Welcome offer (at time of writing) | 75,000 points after $5,000 spend in 3 months (Chase) | "as high as" 100,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months, offer varies (TPG review) | | Dining | 3x (Chase) | 4x at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 a year (Amex) | | Groceries | 3x online grocery (Chase) | 4x at US supermarkets, up to $25,000 a year (Amex) | | Flights | 2x on travel; 5x through Chase Travel (Chase) | 3x on flights booked direct or via Amex Travel (Amex) | | Other travel | 2x (Chase) | 1x (2x car rentals and cruises via Amex Travel) | | Annual credits | $100 hotel credit via Chase Travel (Chase) | Up to $120 dining, $120 Uber Cash, $100 Resy, $84 Dunkin', all in monthly or semi-annual instalments (Amex) |
What the credits are really worth
The Gold's fee is offset only if you actually use its credits: $10 a month at specific dining partners, $10 of Uber Cash a month, Resy credits in two halves, Dunkin' monthly. If those fit your life, the effective fee falls well below the Preferred's; if they do not, you are paying a large fee for a strong earning rate. The Preferred's $100 hotel credit requires booking through Chase Travel, which is simple but limits where you can use it.
Points and where they go
Both cards earn transferable points. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers at 1:1 to ten airline programmes (including United, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, Singapore, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and Southwest) and four hotel programmes, with Hyatt moving to a 4:3 rate from October 2026 for most cardholders (TPG, September 2026). Amex Membership Rewards has its own set of roughly twenty airline and hotel partners; check Amex's transfer page for the current list and ratios, since some are not 1:1.
For a traveller focused on international flights, the practical difference is which partners you will actually use. Chase's United and Aeroplan access is strong for Star Alliance; Amex's partners are historically strong for Delta, Air France-KLM and the Asian carriers. See how to redeem credit card points for flights.
Travel protections
Chase's card page lists trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $10,000 per traveller and $20,000 per trip), primary rental-car collision coverage up to $60,000, baggage delay reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement up to $500 per traveller when you pay with the Sapphire Preferred, and no foreign transaction fees (Chase); the Gold's travel protections are lighter, so check Amex's benefits guide for what applies. For someone booking their own international trips, that is a meaningful tilt toward the Preferred, and a reason many people pair the Gold (for dining and groceries) with a Sapphire (for travel purchases).
Who should pick which
- You want one card for everything travel-related, including the ticket itself: Sapphire Preferred.
- You spend heavily at restaurants and US supermarkets and will use the monthly credits: Amex Gold.
- You fly United, Air Canada or Southwest, or stay at Hyatt: Sapphire Preferred.
- You fly Delta or Air France-KLM often: Amex Gold, transferring to their programmes.
- You are new to points: Sapphire Preferred; lower fee, simpler credits, better protections.
Whichever you choose, the card earns the points; a price alert finds the cheap cash fare to put them toward, or the dates when a points redemption beats paying cash.
FAQ
Is the Amex Gold worth its annual fee? Only if you use most of the monthly credits; otherwise the Sapphire Preferred delivers most of the benefit for a fraction of the fee.
Can I have both? Yes, and it is a common pairing: Gold for dining and groceries, Preferred for travel and protections.
Which earns more on flights? The Gold earns 3x on flights booked direct; the Preferred earns 2x direct or 5x through Chase Travel.